


Baby, I Love Your Way

by magicianparrish



Series: The Old Guard College/University AU [3]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, First Dates, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Meet the Family, Proposals, Questionable Dates, Romantic Comedy, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, but a lovable idiot, nicky is a bit of an idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:40:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26955988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicianparrish/pseuds/magicianparrish
Summary: A man came and sat next to Joe at the counter. He gave him a curt nod in greeting, a small smile to show that he was friendly. The man had a strong profile as he stood leaning up against the bar waiting for the bartender to see him and take his drink order.The man gave a small smile to the bartender and he ordered something that was lost to the cacophony of shouts that erupted in the bar. The man sat himself down at the bar properly as he waited for his drink. A moment later a stem glass filled with sparkling white wine was handed to the man. Joe was no expert at pub culture, but even his first thought was who ordered wine at a pub? The man did not seem to be deterred in the slightest though.______________________________________________________________________________________________Based in the same universe of this University modern setting, it's little vignettes of how Joe and Nicky got together and their relationship.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia & Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: The Old Guard College/University AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932727
Comments: 22
Kudos: 175





	1. Stalker Man

**Author's Note:**

> New work! This idea came to me in the middle of the night and I haven't slept well since until I wrote something for it. This is part of the same universe as "When I Kissed The Teacher" and "Take a Chance on Me." See it as a prequel of sorts on how these two PhD candidates got together. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! (not edited or beta'd)

The only reason Joe had even agreed to go out was that it was the end of finals week. Though when one was in the middle of their PhD program one did not tend to follow the same schedule of students in their undergraduate or graduate studies. He was under a very time consuming, hectic, and highly stressful schedule of conducting copious amounts of research, writing his dissertation into something coherent, and then having to present it to a board of only the best in his field of study at the university. All within two years, which all things considered is not enough time at all. He was coming towards the tail end of his degree program, and he would have to work all through the summer (again) to make sure he hit all his deadlines before he went to present in November and hopefully would come out as a doctorate graduate. 

His advisor was a nice woman, she was helpful when Joe bombarded her with questions upon questions. Her critique and comments are always well justified, once Joe gets over his own self-loathing of  _ how could he be so stupid? _ But she was also known to be a hit or miss when it came to finding her in her office when he needed her. And depending on her mood she could answer your texts or emails within ten minutes, or possibly two weeks later. Joe never really knew where he stood with her, and that did not help ease his anxiety. 

So when his friend Andy had invited Joe to some end of the semester drinks, he had accepted after some mild persuasion tactics. Andy was in some billiards league where she traveled around pubs in the small part of the city in the University District on the weekends. Sometimes when she could see Joe drowning in his work she would grab him by the arm and take him with her as she won money and defeated all the haughty men in pool games. It was always amusing to see the looks on her opponents’ faces. 

The place they went to today was not one he was very familiar with. It was on the other side of the district, but he didn’t care where he was as long as it was out of his apartment and away from his mountains of papers and books. The night was already alight with people. Streetlights illuminated the place in a soft glow. He looked up at the marquis where in gold letters read the name  _ Saints & Scholars _ on a green backsplash. Glass windows let him see inside where there were people already milling about. Andy clapped him on the shoulder before she opened the large oak door to let them in. 

The smell of cigarettes and beer immediately greeted them upon entering. It was warm inside the pub, and it was surprisingly spacious. People were sitting in booths and tables, laughing and chatting. In the back, he could see that a live band was setting up shop, tuning their instruments and checking amps and microphones. He raised his eyebrows at the makeshift hole that had been cut through the wall, where there was a man ordering food from the local Chinese restaurant next door. It was a lively place. A well-loved place. 

Andy went immediately towards the bar and ordered herself a pint, while Joe trailed her like a shadow. He looked at the watch on his wrist to see that her match wouldn’t be for another few minutes. He watched as Andy nearly downed her beer with ease, and he ordered a small gin and tonic to nurse very slowly for himself. 

“You’re paying,” he told Andy. She merely raised her eyebrows as she finished her drink and rubbed her lips before shrugging. 

“Figured as much,” she replied. She always used her winnings to buy rounds for her opponents and friends. 

She then turned around and flagged the bartender down again who took her empty glass and filled it back up again. She thanked the man before slapping the countertop once and reached into her pocket to take out some coins. 

“Time to stack my quarters to save my spot,” she said getting up from the stool she was sitting in. 

“Good luck,” he called out. Andy smirked but didn’t say anything else as she made her way to the pool table. 

He turned around in his seat, content to lean his elbows on the countertop, and laced his fingers around the glass. Joe watched all the people that came in and out of the place, listening in on conversations and hearing the small snippets of the lives these people lead. At one point a woman was going around waving a piece of paper and a pen shouting for people to sign the petition to save Louis’ job! People were erupting in laughter and exclamations as they hastily signed the petition and then raising their glasses in a toast, “For Louis that darling bastard of a bartender!” 

A man came and sat next to Joe at the counter. He gave him a curt nod in greeting, a small smile to show that he was friendly. The man had a strong profile as he stood leaning up against the bar waiting for the bartender to see him and take his drink order. 

The man gave a small smile to the bartender and he ordered something that was lost to the cacophony of shouts that erupted in the bar. The man sat himself down at the bar properly as he waited for his drink. A moment later a stem glass filled with sparkling white wine was handed to the man. 

“Grazie mille,” he said nodding his head and taking a small sip. 

Joe was no expert at pub culture, but even his first thought was  _ who ordered wine at a pub?  _ The man did not seem to be deterred in the slightest though. He was wearing a gray t-shirt and jeans, nothing to make him stand out. His brown hair was curling just under his ears, making it a little shaggy but it was not sloppy. He had a strong Roman nose that looked great, but his eyes were the most startling thing about him. They were a perfect mix of blue and green, piercing as the beautiful waters of the Mediterranian. He took another sip of his wine, and he pivoted himself towards where the pool game was well underway, his eyes moving back and forth towards him. 

“That woman,” he started. He had a soft voice, but even in the noise of the pub, Joe could hear him perfectly. “You are not together?” 

Joe felt his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. He turned to see where the mystery man was looking, and he realized he was talking about Andy who was in the middle of cueing up her shot. 

“Andy?” he asked. 

“The woman with the short black hair and intense eyes, yes,” the man clarified. 

The idea of him and Andy being together was almost laughable. So Joe let out a boisterous laugh before he took a small sip of his drink finally. He cringed through it. Then he shook his head. 

“Absolutely not. That’d be like dating my sister,” he finally said. 

The man hummed to himself, his eyes narrowing and nodding his head. “I have followed you two for many months now. I have always wanted to talk to you, but I thought that you were together.” 

Joe felt a jolt go through his body at the man’s words. Followed him? For months? He looked the man up and down for a long moment. He did not seem like the type of guy who was a creep. In fact, he looked very sincere. 

“Followed me?” he finally repeated, skeptical of this entire interaction. 

The man winced, his nose scrunching up in a cute way and his lips pursing as if he had sucked on a lemon. “I did not mean it like that. This is not my first language and sometimes I get tripped up on translations. I have just admired you, but was too afraid to come up because I thought you were already dating someone else.” 

Joe felt the tightness in his chest unwind at the man’s apology and explanation. He gave a smile he hoped eased the tension off the other man’s face as well. The man tugged on a small silver hoop earring, that Joe only noticed then. 

“I understand. This is not my first language either,” he admitted. 

The man seemed to brighten up at the commonality between the two of them. Both foreigners in this place. He moved closer to Joe, his face open. 

“I’m Nicky,” he introduced. “Would you like to go on a date with me next week?” 

Joe wasn’t sure if this man, Nicky, was always so bold and upfront, or if it was the slight slur to his speech and the liquid courage that alcohol tended to give people. But Joe found it strangely refreshing. 

“I’m Joe, and sure.” 

They shared a smile together, and Nicky then took out his wallet and brought out photos of him in a football uniform. They discussed their mutual interests, which included football, and very strong opinions about it, and the fact that they were both University students and Ph.D. candidates. He learned that Nicky hailed from Genoa, and they shared their mutual love for living in coastal cities and the beauty that is the Mediterranian. Nicky was an interesting person for sure, and Joe found his company nice. 

They parted ways late into the night, Andy still basking in yet another victory. Joe told her the story of Nicky’s mixup, and they shared a laugh together. 

“Be careful with Stalker Man,” she said. She had given Nicky that gratuitous nickname, which had Joe rolling his eyes but he couldn’t really deny. 

“I can take care of myself,” he replied, closing the door behind him and taking his shoes off. 

Andy had already made her way onto the couch for the night as she let out a hum of disbelief. 

“That’s debatable.” 

“Good night, Andromache.” 

Andy groaned at the use of her full name, but Joe just walked down the hallway thinking about his date with Nicky next week and his beautiful smile and eyes. 


	2. It's A Family Affair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New Chapter, yay! And it's almost 4k words :) Enjoy! 
> 
> (Not edited or beta'd)

Even though his friends knew Nicky’s name, they still referred to him as Stalker Man, and always shared a good laugh at the story Joe had told them. Booker was more likely to start singing a spoof of _Rocket Man_ he had created during a drunken Saturday in their local bar when the live band had started to sing it. Andy occasionally joined in if she got a good amount of vodka in her system. 

Joe hadn’t been sure why he had even agreed to a first date with the man. He was definitely beautiful, and his voice was melodic to listen to. And he had seemed so earnest when he realized his words had come out wrong. So actually, he did know why he agreed. He was intrigued by the man and wanted to know more. 

They had agreed to meet for some casual drinks and food at the same bar the next week. Nicky had been sitting in a small booth when Joe arrived at the rinky-dink bar. He had walked over and gently tapped on the table to get Nicky’s attention. The man’s head snapped up, and a small smile emerged on his face. On the table were some books and a legal pad that he had been hastily scrawled on. Nicky quickly shut his books and put his pen between his lips. 

“Sorry, sorry," he apologized, though with the pen in his mouth it sounded muffled. 

Joe sat down and chuckled waving the concern. “Don’t apologize. Though I worry that you brought your work with you to a bar _and_ a first date?” 

Nicky chuckled nervously, and when he finally swept his work off the table he took a sip of the red wine that he had already ordered himself. Again, a weird quirk to the man across from him. Ordering wine at a bar. He swept some hair out of his eyes. 

“Normally I do not, but I have a deadline on Monday that I feel like I am desperately not going to make, so I try to work whenever I can,” he replied. 

Joe empathized greatly with the man’s plight. “I understand completely. It feels like the more I get done the more I have.” 

Nicky’s beautiful eyes widened and he nodded. “I know! Most days I feel like I have to question all my life’s choices. I feel like I’m slowly going insane.” 

Joe had flagged down a waitress and ordered tonic water for himself, as they continued on their conversation about the horrors of post-graduate school. And living abroad so far from home in the United States, and the culture shock of it all. New York City was a wonderful place and truly a melting pot of cultures it claimed to be, but it would never hold a candle to the beautiful coastal cities of their homes. 

He learned that Nicky had an undergraduate degree in History from the University of Genoa, earned his MA in Religion at King’s College in London, and was now in the middle of his doctorate at Columbia. 

Joe had whistled, impressed with the credentials. “A well-traveled man you are,” he said with a smile. 

“Thank God for scholarships,” Nicky rebutted and raised his glass. Joe could easily cheer to that. They clicked their glasses together in solidarity. 

They ordered some appetizers for themselves to serve as their date meal and talked about other things that interested them. Joe found conversation easy with Nicky. It was not awkward or stilted, it flowed nicely. When he asked what his doctorate dissertation was going to be he relished in watching Nicky’s blue-green eyes light up and his words spill out passionately. And Nicky returned the favor when it was Joe’s turn, listening intently to every word he said. He found Nicky a fascinating man. He was a kind man, and he was obviously passionate about his studies. Joe would not dismiss having another date with him. 

“Tonight was lovely,” he said as they started to wind down. 

“I am glad,” Nicky replied with a small tilt of his head. He looked at the table, his finger running along the rim of his wine glass. 

“Would you like to see me again next weekend?” he asked sheepishly, a blush forming on his cheeks. 

Joe did not hesitate to nod his head. “Yes, of course. Did you have something in mind?” 

He watched as Nicky sucked air through his teeth and bit the inside of his cheek. He seemed shy suddenly. Joe found that curious. 

“Actually yes. My brother, Romeo is getting married next week,” he said. 

Joe felt his eyebrows raise as he processed the words. He leaned forward resting his elbows on the table. “You’re asking me to accompany you to your brother’s wedding? You know you can’t just show up with a plus one if you didn’t mark it on the RSVP.” 

Nicky let out a nervous chuckle. “I actually did.” 

“You didn’t even know if I would say yes.” 

Nicky gave him a bashful smile, looking up from underneath his eyelashes as he shrugged his shoulders. 

“I was hopeful,” he jested. 

Joe was rendered speechless, looking at the beautiful man before him. The highly intelligent, beautiful man that seemed to make questionable and surprising social choices. He could hear Booker’s stupid voice singing _Stalker Man_ in his head, and Andy laughing. He shook his head trying to dispel his unwanted friends in his thoughts. But then he realized he could still hear Andy laughing and it seemed much more real. He did a quick search in the bar and saw the two of them sitting at a table the perfect distance away. Andy and Booker raised their glasses with shit-eating grins on their faces. Joe’s eyes widened and he glared at them before turning his attention back to Nicky. He let out a sigh and a breathless chuckle. 

“You are full of surprises, Nicky.” 

“Is that a yes?” he asked with hope laced in his tone. 

“I guess it is.” 

* * *

Nicky had called Joe the next morning and gave him the time he would pick him up that Saturday. He couldn’t believe he got roped into going to a wedding on such short notice. Andy and Booker had a field day with that. 

“You’re going to meet his entire family on a second date,” Booker commented. “I gotta say, the man has balls.” 

“Shut up,” Joe had grumbled as he tried to find the one specific book he needed in the vast library, while Booker followed him to avoid actually doing his job. Joe sighed and tugged on his beard, turning around to face his friend. He shoved the piece of paper with the title and author on it. 

“Make yourself useful and find this for me,” he demanded. 

The Frenchman smirked at Joe, before looking at the piece of paper. He grumbled under his breath as he pushed past Joe scanning the tall shelves. A minute later he gently took out a large book that had definitely seen some better days and handed it to Joe with a triumphant look on his face. 

“You’re supposed to know where they are, you work in the library,” Joe said. “But thank you.” 

Joe checked out the book at the front desk and then went to find a quiet place to try and work on the new chapter of his own dissertation. He had a meeting with his advisor on Thursday and he needed to impress her and showcase that yes, he may have two degrees of his own under his belt, but really, he is not an idiot. Though he could never tell where he stood with her. Booker decided to take his break early and on his own terms to join Joe. 

“You are also aware that you will have to sit through a Catholic service, right?” Booker said as he slumped into the chair across from Joe. “A full, Catholic marriage service. Two hours of pomp and circumstance and shit.” 

“Didn’t you get married in a Church?” Joe asked, taking out his folder and legal pad of notes and other books that were marked to hell with post-its.

Booker scoffed. “Are you joking? Lorraine and I got married in a courthouse. Then we held a nice familial reception in our backyard. That is the way to go.” 

Joe hummed, not totally disagreeing with him. He set up shop, not fully paying attention to his friend. 

“Do you have a suit to wear?” 

Joe sighed and rolled his eyes. “Yes.” 

“A really nice one? Remember, a Catholic wedding. Catholics don’t do anything half-assed.” 

“Speaking from experience, Booker?” Joe asked with a smirk. The man leaned forward and smacked him in the arm, which caused them both to share a laugh. 

“Yes, I do have a nice suit. I am a respectable adult man.” 

Joe was able to get some work done, and he continued to take notes on the books, and scribble out ideas to follow up on later. 

“I will give the Italians this though. They know how to throw a good party, and their food is always impeccable,” Booker commented. 

“For my sake, I hope you’re right.” 

* * *

Joe had one nice suit for occasions like this. He was at the age where all his friends were now starting to get married, and having this suit saved him the hassle of having to rent one out every time he got invited to a wedding. He had cleaned himself up well, (in his humble opinion), as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He straightened his tie and put some final product in his hair. He had even trimmed his beard a little to make it more clean and presentable. He was about to meet Nicky’s entire goddamn family after all. 

At exactly two, he went out to see if Nicky had arrived. The man was leaning against a bright blue third-generation Toyota Camry. He was dressed impeccably in a black suit, and to Joe’s horror and eternal amusement decided to wear a _bowtie_. His shaggy hair was styled back nicely, showcasing his wonderful face. He was also casually smoking a cigarette. 

Joe stepped out of his apartment complex, and down the steps. Nicky looked up and quickly took the cigarette out of his mouth and dropped it on the concrete sidewalk, squashing it under his foot. 

“The car isn’t going to smell is it?” Joe asked in lieu of a greeting. 

Nicky looked a little flustered, as he popped a piece of gum in his mouth. “Uh, no. Sorry, it’s not a strong habit I promise.” 

Joe hummed, and they kissed each other’s cheek. He got into the car, with Nicky walking around to get into the driver’s seat. And he was pleased to find that the car in fact did not smell of the nauseating scent of stale cigarette smoke. There was a small air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror that smelled oddly tropical. Nicky reached over towards the glove box and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and a folded up map. 

“I wrote down the directions to the place, and I’m humbly requesting that you be my navigator today,” he explained. 

Joe looked down at the directions and saw beautiful handwriting greet him. It was cautiously neat but had some blots of ink that were crossed out hastily and spelling errors. 

“I wrote it down as neat as I could,” Nicky explained, noticing Joe looking at it intently. “I have dyslexia so don’t mind the spelling mistakes.” 

Some things about Nicky clicked into a clear picture then for Joe. How sometimes he paused to find the right words to say next, or how he sometimes mixed-up words and meanings. Telling his aversion to all things math, and overcoming his struggles with reading and writing. Joe shook his head clearing his thoughts. 

“Oh, it’s no problem at all. I can read it perfectly,” he replied. 

“Good. It’ll probably take us just an hour north.” 

Nicky started the car and pulled out onto the street. Joe steadily gave the directions, while Nicky seemed to drive like a madman. Joe wasn’t sure if Nicky was just an overtly aggressive driver, or if he just didn’t truly know the rules of the road and was just winging it. _A man full of surprises_ , he reminded himself. They made it to the venue in just under an hour when they pulled into the parking lot outside of Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. People dressed in their Sunday best were milling around the lot, mingling with one another. Nicky turned off the car and took a deep breath, steeling himself. Joe reached over and grabbed Nicky’s hand squeezing it tightly. Nicky looked over at him with those gorgeous blue eyes and they shared a reassuring smile. Joe would be there for Nicky no matter what happened. 

They got out of the car together, the brisk air or late September hitting Joe’s face as he breathed it in. Nicky stretched his arms above his head, and Joe took in the scene before him. 

“ _NICOLÒ_!” A voice screamed. Joe turned toward the source. 

He saw a tall brunette woman whose hair was flying around as she ran across the pavement in stilettos. She wore a beautiful dark pink dress that went over her left shoulder and down her back. The woman stopped short, causing Nicky to reach out to help her catch her balance. She quickly fixed her hair and was panting from running. Then she reached out and brought Nicky into a bone-crushing hug. She muttered something in Italian to Nicky which had him laughing and rolling his eyes lovingly when they released. Nicky turned toward Joe with a small smile. 

“Joe, this is one of my sisters, Nora,” he introduced. “Nora, this is Joe.” 

She looked Joe up and down with her piercing blue eyes. Though unlike Nicky’s whose eyes reminded Joe of the calming waters of the Mediterranian, her’s were more like a blue sky on a clear day. She nodded her head slowly and reached out a hand for him to shake. 

“I’m Eleonora, Nico’s favorite sister, _and_ favorite sibling,” she said. 

Nicky scoffed and pushed her over, causing her to squawk in surprise. “Watch it, I’m in heels!” she cried out before pushing back at Nicky harder, causing him to stumble. 

Another woman came running over, her strawberry blonde hair up in a beautiful french twist. She was in a light blue gown that was a nice low-cut spaghetti strap dress which went to the floor causing her to have to hold her skirts in her hands so as to not trip. She didn’t even wait to catch her breath as she barreled into Nicky with a hug on her own. She was talking a mile a minute to Nicky who was listening with an amused expression on his face. 

Nora went over and practically yanked the woman off Nicky. “Get off of him before you choke him to death,” she scolded. 

The woman then had to adjust her dress, her blue eyes the same shade as Nora’s widening and she had a smirk on her red lips. “Oops! Can’t have a nip slip happen in front of this handsome beau. Nicky is he yours?” 

“I told you not to wear that dress, your boobs are too big for it,” Nora chastised in the way only sisters could. It reminded him of his own older sisters, Maryam and Aisha. 

“Joe this is my other sister, Gabriella,” Nicky said gesturing toward her. “Gabriella, this is Joe.” 

“Oh, he is yours! Good taste in men, Nico," she said. “I’m Nico’s favorite sister and sibling.” 

“I already used that one!” Nora crowed. 

Gabriella threw her hands up. “ _Cazzo_!” she cursed. The two women then descended into bickering into Italian. 

Another woman, with black hair artfully pinned back and in a long-sleeved bronze-colored dress came up quietly. Unlike the others, she had dark brown eyes and an olive skin tone which complimented her dress color choice. Nicky went over and hugged her tightly. 

“This is my youngest sister Martine, Martine this is Joe.”

She gave a wide smile. “Nice to meet you, Joe.” She had the same softness of her voice that Nicky did, and that his other sisters obviously did not. 

“Pleasure is all mine.” 

Nicky wrapped his arm around Martine’s waist in familiarity and love that Joe had yet to see from Nicky. Perhaps meeting all of Nicky’s siblings and seeing him interact with them was a good thing. He knew that Nicky loved his family. 

“Mama, Papa, and Matteo are by the entrance,” Martine said. 

Nicky let go of his sister and went back over to Joe to wrap his arm around his waist. They started to walk toward the church leaving Martine to wrangle up her sisters. 

“So how many siblings do you have?” Joe inquired. He had not been told any information prior to the fact that Nicky’s brother was getting married. 

“Five. Two brothers and three sisters,” he said. “Me, Romeo, Matteo, Nora, Gabriella, and Martine.” He counted off on his fingers. 

“Must’ve made for an interesting household,” Joe pointed out. He was the third of four children, and even then there was a big age gap between him and his oldest sister Maryam, and him and his younger brother Musa. Nicky and his sisters looked relatively close in age. 

“Interesting is a good word,” Nicky agreed with a soft chuckle. “If you think Gabriella and Nora were much now, wait until the reception when they get some limoncello in their system.” 

By the stone steps to the church was an older couple with a young dark haired man standing next to them. They were greeting every guest that came by. The woman had the same dark hair that Martine had inherited, but the same beautiful stunning eyes that belonged to Nicky. She was in a lavender two-piece, with a nice skirt and blouse and jacket. She had a matching fascinator with lace covering her face fashionably. The father was dressed impeccably in a suit, and he had an impressive mustache and was nodding cordially but not speaking much, leaving it to his wife. The young man was following in lead and only nodding and making small pleasantries while checking his watch periodically. 

“Mama,” Nicky greeted, cutting the woman off from talking to another woman. Her eyes widened and a smile covered her entire face. Her lace gloved hands were thrown up in the air. 

“Nicolò! _Mio figlio_!” she cried out. She hurried down the steps and engulfed him in a hug just like his sisters had, before planting kisses all over his face. She held his face in her hands looking at him. 

“You look tired,” she said, before wagging her finger. “I told you not to work yourself to death at that fancy school!” 

“Mama,” Nicky protested. 

“But what do I know? I’m only your mother!” 

Nicky grabbed his mother’s hands in his. “ _Mama_. I am fine, I promise. I have someone to introduce to you.” 

She finally looked away from her son and towards Joe. “This is Joe. Joe this is my mother.” 

She beamed like the sun and hugged him. “Oh finally, my Nicolò has brought someone home for me to meet! It is so nice to meet you, Joe. I am Aurora, and that grouch over there is my husband Leonardo.” 

The man, Nicky’s father, had the same face as Nicky, except with brown eyes. He scratched his mustache. “I’m not a grouch. It is nice to meet you, Joe,” he muttered before shaking his hand. He wagged his finger and looked at Nicky. 

“He has a good handshake, Nicolò.” 

Nicky leaned in. “That means he likes you.” 

“Based on a handshake?” 

Nicky shrugged his shoulders. “Just the way he is.”

Aurora grabbed the young man by the arm and dragged him down the steps. “Greet your brother for God’s sake!” 

The man nodded toward Nicky, and they went in for the _hug-pat-on-the-shoulde_ r thing that Joe had seen men do. 

“This is Matteo, Matteo, Joe.” 

More handshakes and introductions were given as Joe met every aunt, uncle, and cousin that was related to Nicky. It was a lot of names and faces that he would probably not remember again. Though Nicky said that he didn’t expect him to, but he would be ridiculed if he didn’t introduce him, even if he himself had only met the person once twenty years ago. The ceremony was beautiful but long (Joe heard Booker laughing at him in his head.) The bride was stunning in the white gown that trailed behind her as the organ played. Joe followed Nicky’s lead on when to sit and stand, and he watched with awe as Nicky recited the prayers with ease, and nodded along with the homily. Nicky looked like he belonged in the Church. 

For a bit, Joe flew solo as Nicky had been dragged to do family portraits and photos with the bride and groom. But luckily, Joe was a pretty friendly guy and had a knack for small talk, so he wasn’t totally alone. It was at the reception that Joe finally met Nicky’s other brother, and he was struck by how familiar they looked. They had the same face for sure, though the brother was sporting a nice close-cropped beard and had longer and darker hair that was gelled back nicely. The man was also a chatterbox, wanting to know everything about Joe from the moment they were introduced. He was the opposite of Nicky. 

When Nicky was able to drag the two of them away from the groom, Joe finally asked. “Are you twins?” 

Nicky grabbed a glass of limoncello for himself at the bar and took a sip with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “ _Si. Gemelli identici_.” 

Joe knew enough Italian to parse what that meant. He looked between the groom, Romeo who had been dragged out onto the dancefloor and was dancing like it was the end of the world tomorrow, which a crowd cheered him on as the live band played. Then he looked back at Nicky who was holding a glass to hide his face and his smirk. 

“That explains why you two share the same face,” he said. “Who’s older?” 

Nicky threw up his hands. “Santo Dio. What does it matter?” 

Joe smirked, wrapping his arm around Nicky’s shoulder and leaning in close. “That is the sound of a bitter twin who was born second.”

“It was by three minutes,” Nicky argued. 

“Three minutes before you though.” 

“Watch it or perhaps you won’t be getting lucky tonight,” Nicky muttered. 

Joe raised his eyebrows and smirked. “I didn’t realize that was even in the cards.” 

“The deck is getting smaller by the minute,” Nicky returned. 

Joe laughed and found that he loved spending time in Nicky’s company. He wanted to spend more time with him. Even meeting his entire family who had flown out from Italy to be here didn’t deter him. Much. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Thanks to a lovely reader who commented, I have changed what Nicky said when him and Joe were bickering at the bar because I, a non-Italian speaker, relied on the internet and it did not work out too well. So thank you for pointing it out to me! (Don't be afraid to tell me stuff like this, I really appreciate learning and doing better for future writings) 
> 
> Like the first chapter, this is also based on my parents. My dad did have the audacity to bring my mother to a family wedding for their second date, so my mom met my dad's entire extended family from the start lmao. 
> 
> And I love the idea of Nicky coming from a large family. He also gives big Tired Older Brother (TM) vibes. This also vaguely takes place sometime in the 1990s I guess. And I decided to make them accepting damn it because I can do what I want. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Drop a comment or kudos below :)


	3. Who's Rocking the Boat?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! (Warning for some mentions and descriptions of seasickness. Nothing too graphic. ) 
> 
> Enjoy! (Not edited or beta'd)

When Nicky convinced Joe to sign up for an excursion that Saints & Scholars was hosting, his first initial thought was: yeah, he’s been out on a boat before, this could be fun. He grew up in Tunis, where his father worked as a successful merchantman. His father owned a nice little leisure boat that he often took his family on beautiful sunny and temperate days. Joe had been on a boat before, many times in fact. It was not anything new for him. 

The excursion that you paid for including the bus ride out to Long Island where they would catch the boat they’d be on, as well as all expenses for any drinks. Though Joe was not a big drinker himself, he knew that the deal was almost criminal, and he’d be an idiot not to say yes. But he also couldn’t help but catch on with Nicky’s excitement in his glittering sea-glass eyes. Boating was no stranger to Nicky either, growing up in the beautiful port city of Genoa. He also had a feeling that his friends would also enjoy this particular excursion, and Nicky was more than happy to allow Joe to invite them along for the ride. All Joe had to say was unlimited booze to Booker before he practically ran to the paper sign up sheet, not caring what else was included. Andy reluctantly joined as well, stating she needed an excuse to get away from grading papers from freshman undergrads, and the booze appealed to her as well. 

When the Saturday rolled around, they made their way to the bar as that was the meetup spot. Out on the sidewalk, there were all the locals already gathering and mingling with each other. Some were smoking cigarettes as they chatted and laughed together. They all held bottles of beer in their hands as they casually sipped. Joe looked at his watch, and it barely read 10:30. He had a feeling he was in for a long day ahead of him. 

They walked in, where many more people were congregated. The air permeated with stale smoke, and beer and a wave of noise hit Joe as a myriad of voices washed across the air. Booker and Andy made a beeline to the bar, with Andy pushing her way past the crowds who were idling, and grabbing Booker by the wrist so as to not lose him. Joe looked around searching for a familiar face. He found Nicky on the other side, talking to a woman who looked surprisingly well put together for a Saturday morning at a bar. Her long black hair was down, and she wore a stylish red poncho coat and black jeans and boots. They were talking passionately back and forth with one another, and he saw Nicky take a quick drag of a cigarette as he nodded along with what the woman said. Joe navigated his way through the crowd of people towards them. 

“I thought you said it wasn’t a habit?” Joe asked with a smirk as he came up to Nicky who had taken another drag. 

Nicky startled, looking over at Joe. He watched the Italian man curse and blow smoke purposefully in the other direction of Joe before turning back. He had a sheepish smile and he passed the cigarette back over to the woman he had been talking to, who took a drag of it herself. She looked amused watching the two of them. 

“You just catch me at bad times,” he replied, trying to hide his flush and the way he floundered. 

The woman scoffed. “Trying to hide bad habits instead of owning up to them is not the best route to take Nicolò. You might as well just accept the fact that you have taken up your love affair with cigarettes again.” 

Nicky hissed through his teeth and ran a hand through his hair. He gestured with his other hand that held a clear cup of beer and muttered something in Italian that had his friend raising her eyebrows in skepticism. Joe made a mental note to start brushing up on his Italian. 

The woman gestured towards Joe. “Nicolò, introduce me to your friend.” 

Nicky looked over at Joe and gave him a smile, moving on from the smoking debacle. He maneuvered his way closer towards Joe, who welcomed it, by wrapping an arm around his waist. 

“This is my boyfriend, Joe. Joe, this is Quýnh, my best friend from Columbia,” Nicky introduced. 

Quýnh’s brown eyes lit up and she gasped before jumping up and down once. “Oh, so you’re the mysterious man Nicky’s been with! He’s been so skittish about it, I’m so glad we’re finally meeting!” 

Quýnh didn’t hesitate before barreling Joe into a bear hug. It startled him at first, but he then reciprocated, enjoying the energy of her. He looked over her shoulder towards Nicky who had a small smile on his face. He just shrugged his shoulders helplessly. After a moment Quýnh let go and stood back getting a good look at him. She took a long sip of her drink and then finished off her cigarette before she nodded approvingly. 

“Good job, Nicolò. He’s quite the catch,” she complimented. She then leaned in and wrapped an arm around him. 

“Hurt him though, and I’ll kill you,” she muttered with a sickeningly sweet smile. 

That was not the first time Joe had heard the shovel talk. He was usually the one who was giving it, not receiving it though. He nodded sincerely at Quýnh and put a hand over his heart. 

“I will definitely keep that in mind,” he replied. He then looked at her and then back toward the bar where he saw Booker and Andy had lined up some shots. He watched Andy count down and then the two of them lick salt from the side of their hand before downing the shot and sucking on a lime afterward. Joe winced. Nothing good ever came from tequila shots. He definitely was in for a long day. 

“I think you should meet my friend Andy,” Joe decided. Quýnh raised her eyebrows as she tried to follow Joe’s line of sight. 

He pointed toward Andy who was in Booker’s face bragging about something. He watched as interest showed in Quýnh’s eyes. She turned back towards Joe and Nicky, clapping them each on the shoulder. 

“Well, I’ll see you two lovebirds on the bus,” she said before walking away. 

“Do you want a drink?” Nicky finally asked. 

Joe chuckled looking back at the man. “I think I may need one to get through the day. My friends are idiots.” 

They both looked over at Booker and Andy, and now Quýnh had joined the mix, inserting herself seamlessly. Andy flagged down the bartender and another line of shots was put on the bar, this time with some for Quýnh to take as well. Nicky’s face was scrunched in worry. 

“Will they even make it to the bus?” he wondered. 

“I’m sure Andy will. The woman can drink anyone under the table, and she’ll drag Booker with her whether he’s conscious or not,” Joe replied. 

They shared a laugh, and Nicky went up to get Joe a beer, and another for himself. They continued to talk, managing to find a table for them to rest at. Occasionally a local would come up to Nicky and strike conversation and pleasantries. Nicky would then introduce Joe and he would get roped into the local politics and the stories from the various characters that frequented the bar. Joe wished he had a pen and paper with him to document what he heard. It had sitcom material written all over it. 

At around 12:30, one of the people who organized the trip stood on top of a table and shouted louder than Joe thought humanly possible to get the attention of the patrons who were at various degrees of intoxication. She announced that the bus that would take them to Long Island was delayed and wouldn’t arrive until around 2 because the bus company couldn’t get its shit together. A cacophony of groans and curses were thrown out from the people, and the woman just shrugged her shoulders and got down to fall into the wave of people. 

At that point the Chinese restaurant that shared the hole in the wall with the bar, opened for business, immediately forming a line to order. Nicky got up to get some food for them while they continued to pregame at the bar. They ate mediocre food that was definitely made to be eaten when drunk. They swapped stories about their childhoods and their families, and their friends. Laughing so hard it hurt to breathe at points. With every conversation that Joe had with Nicky, the more he felt like he could live the rest of his life with him. He wanted to share these moments with Nicky as long as he would allow it. He wanted to see the different ways that Nicky smiled depending on how he was feeling. He wanted to hear his melodic voice as he told stories and talked about his dissertation he was preparing to present and share in just a few months. He wanted to see how Nicky’s eyes seemed to shift from beautiful blues to vibrant greens, the way they shifted like the waves of the Mediterranian that shared their history. He wanted all of that with Nicky. 

Finally, at around 2:30, the busses finally arrived. Slowly people started to shuffle their way out of the bar and out into the fresh air. The woman who had organized this was yelling in frustration at the poor bus driver who was stuck shepherding a bunch of drunk people out to Long Island both ways. Nicky and Joe got on one bus and sat toward the front. People followed suit, and he saw Andy come up, steady on her feet, and dragging Booker by one arm, with Quýnh on the other. Booker was arguing with them in French, which Andy replied with ease and rolling of her eyes. They sat across the aisle from Joe and Nicky. Andy shoved Booker in who practically collapsed onto the seat and leaned his head against the window. She ran a hand through her hair, as she shook her head. 

“Having fun?” Joe teased. 

Andy kicked her leg across the aisle to try and hit Joe who laughed boisterously. “Shut up.” 

When everyone was on the bus, they began the drive out. Soon after their departure, someone came up the aisle with a large cooler offering beer to everyone on it. Nicky took two for himself with a soft “Grazie” and offered one to Joe who took it. He had only one at the bar, and he wasn’t planning on ending up like Booker or even Andy. Andy took one for herself and slapped Booker’s hand away when he went to reach for one. 

As they drove over the Whitestone, someone who had brought an accordion along for the ride and started a sing-a-long of Irish shanties, that everyone sang along with fervor. Joe was not familiar with them, but he liked how catchy they were and he was even able to join along with the chorus once he heard it a few times. Nicky did not sing along but was happy to watch the others have fun. 

They got to the harbor in good time, where the boat was waiting for them. Everyone shuffled on, and soon they were sailing out of the Sound. It started off fine enough. The water of Long Island Sound was nice and smooth. People continued their drinking adventures and were having a good time. Booker had recovered enough on the bus ride to continuing but under the watchful eyes of Andy and Quýnh. People were mingling and enjoying themselves. Joe and Nicky stood on the side watching the water glitter underneath them and admiring the view. 

Things started to take a turn when the boat went out of the calm waters of the Sound and headed into the Atlantic proper. The waters started to turn choppy, rocking the boat from side to side. People were taking notice and holding out their arms and spreading out their legs for balance, but still drinking and mingling. The boat they had joined, was a deep-sea fishing boat. Something that Joe had not been aware of when the day had first begun, and when he had signed up. And it seemed that many people did not know either. 

There were around forty-five patrons of the bar on the boat. Forty-five people who were just there for a good time. From what Joe could parse out, there were around only four people who were actually interested in the deep sea fishing part of this excursion.

Around an hour and a half in, Joe started to feel the stirrings of seasickness. The water wasn’t getting any better, and the salty tang of the ocean, something that normally brought warm memories of home, of Tunis, suddenly was something he did not wish to smell. He looked over at Nicky, whose face had become tinged with a green pallor. Joe observed that many of the other people were not faring well either. It was then that Nicky suddenly leaned over, and hurled over the side of the boat; and that set a chain reaction off. Curses were being thrown around and someone had come out with buckets and was tossing it to everyone who needed it. Joe caught one and immediately emptied the contents of his stomach. Nicky leaned down and sat on the side and then he took the bucket to finish his nausea off as well. They went back and forth, sharing the bucket. It was the worst seasickness he had ever felt in his life. 

“We’re not getting any bites!” One of the five serious fishermen shouted. “Bring us further out!” 

The revving of the boat's engines whirled below Joe, as the boat was taken further out into the Atlantic. People were laying in various states of distress and sickness, cursing, and moaning, and throwing up. It became a vicious cycle. The fisherman would get angry, declaring they had no bites from the fishes in the ocean, and declare the boat go further, which led to more choppy waters, and more protests from everyone else, and more seasickness to be overthrown on the boat.

From where he could see, Andy and Quýnh had also taken up to sharing a bucket together. Nicky was muttering in Italian to himself, holding his head in his hands and doing deep breathing exercises. At one point a man, who had been bombed from the start, stumbled during a particularly nasty wave, and stumbled across the deck, right into an open icebox, normally used for fish caught, but was instead holding beers for everyone on the boat. He fell headfirst with his legs sticking right up before it fell over with him in it and ice spilling everywhere. Joe’s first thought was he would find that funny tomorrow when he wasn’t trying to keep all his guts inside his body. 

“Bring the boat out further!” 

A wave of groans and protests fell on deaf ears. Joe looked at his watch and saw it read 18:00. Fuck they had been on the boat for hours. He needed to get off this boat. 

“Whoa!” 

Joe snapped his head up and looked over at where the voice came. Booker was sitting in a chair, seemingly to be unaffected by this hell. He was drunk, but he did not look sick. He was laughing. 

“ _ Whoa _ ! Who’s rocking the boat?” he sing-songed. “ _ Don’t rock the boat _ !” 

Joe glared and cursed his friend. Of course, Booker would be the one person who wasn’t impacted by this. The man who had barely stepped foot on a boat in his life, who had never properly been in the ocean before. The man who refused to go in past his ankles at the beach. It was just his luck. It truly was a cosmic joke. 

“Whoa!” Booker called out again with another wave crashing against the boat. “ _ Qui balance le bateau? Ne balancez le bateau! _ ”

It was at that point that Nicky stood up on shaky legs and practically crawled over to Booker. He grabbed the man by the front of his shirt and brought him close. 

“Shut the  _ fuck up _ ,” he said between grit teeth. “ _ Non cantarlo di nuovo _ .” 

Booker looked surprised for a moment before he let a dopey grin cross his face. He patted Nicky’s face gently. 

“Ah, so you must be Stalker Man.  _ Stalker Man _ !” he sang to the tune of  _ Rocket Man _ . He then laughed at his own joke. 

Nicky growled and shoved him back into the seat before making his way back over to Joe. Joe rolled his head to the side. 

“Sorry about him. He’s normally not this insufferable,” Joe said needing to defend his choice in friends. 

Nicky just waved him off. “Extenuating circumstances and all that.” 

“Bring the boat out further!” 

Joe let out a groan of despair. Nicky joined him in that harmony. “I secretly hope the boat capsizes so we can escape this hell and get rescued by the Coast Guard,” Joe stated. 

Nicky let out a breathless chuckle. They had long ago ejected all of their stomach contents and were just stuck with the lingering feeling of nausea and vertigo. 

“Si. That would be better.” 

Their hell lasted another hour before the boat had the good sense to turn the fuck around and head back toward where they had come from. When the boat had started to head back, cheers erupted from the people. Though they were weak compared to the beginning of the day. When Joe stepped foot on land, he thought his legs would buckle underneath him, but Nicky rescued him from that embarrassment by wrapping an arm around his waist. 

Booker had started to get his act together and was ushered into the bus by Andy who looked relieved to be back on land again. Quýnh and her shared a meaningful look and words as she followed them on. 

“For the record,” Joe said. “I choose the dates for now on.” 

Nicky laughed and looked down at his feet nodding his head. “Yes, I think that will be best.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this! This story is yes, again taken right from my parents lmao. They did go on a deep-sea fishing boat excursion into the Atlantic Ocean for their 3rd date, and it went basically like that. And it's their 26th anniversary tomorrow, so it goes to show you that if you can survive questionable dates, in the beginning, you can survive anything lol 
> 
> I also do not speak French or Italian, so the phrases were taken from the questionable but easily accessible source of Google Translate. 
> 
> (This isn't much about their academic careers/professional careers as future professors, but it is fun writing them in these wacky situations for their love story lol. Nile definitely loves to hear them when she finally gets closer to the friend group.) 
> 
> Next chapter will be their engagement! :)


	4. I Was Trying To Be Romantic!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proposal time! Enjoy :) 
> 
> (Not edited or beta'd)

It somehow always came back to them being at Saints & Scholars, and Nicky’s family. After that initial meeting where Nicky thought it was a good idea to introduce him to his entire family as a second date, Joe figured out that it would not be the last time he would see them. He had learned that his immediate family had relocated across the pond when Nicky was fifteen, due to his father getting a promotion that dealt with the American side of the business or something like that. 

The diGenovas were a traditional family in many aspects. Family meant everything to them, and they let you know it. Nicky had told Joe after the fact that he had passed their initial test when he met his siblings, parents, and other members of the extended family. Joe hadn’t even known he was being tested. Nicky had only laughed and promised that it wouldn’t be the first one but assured Joe that he was okay. 

The diGenova siblings had taken a trip to ski in the mountains of Vermont, renting out a cabin for them to stay at. Joe had never been skiing before and took some lessons as a way to try and impress Nicky. Though by the end of that trip it had turned out that Nicky himself got cut off by a reckless snowboarder and somehow fell and cut his head open, and had to ski himself down to the medic lodge where he got staples into his head. Nicky had taken it in stride, laughing at the fact that all the doctors and nurses cheered him on because he came in with a blood injury rather than a broken bone, and refused to get stitches because he needed to shower for a big presentation that Monday. Nicky and his siblings all laughed around some glasses of wine and a fireplace when he retold the story. Matteo, who was in the middle of putting himself through medical school, eyed the staples himself and said he would’ve done a better job. 

Seeing the six siblings together was always like watching a trainwreck in slow motion. It was clear they all loved each other deeply, though they enjoyed bickering and placing stupid wagers on anything they could think of. It explained a lot about his and Booker’s newfound friendship. Joe loved watching them interact, and the significant others who had also joined brought them under their wing. 

Maria, Romeo’s wife, and the woman Joe met at her wedding had practically strong held Joe to join her and the others. They spent time getting to know one another and sharing stories about the siblings. Joe told them about the disastrous third date, which had all of them gasping with laughter. Joe found he loved the company of them and felt safe knowing that Nicky may not be alone in the fact that they all seem to be just a little crazy. (In the best way.) 

That was the first lesson Joe learned. Family is everything. But it was a familiar one, as he had been brought up the same way. He had been born in Tunis, but his family, much like Nicky’s, had relocated to the Netherlands when Joe was ten. He grew up in an immigrant neighborhood, and when times got tough, family is what got them through. He knew that when they decided to take their relationship to the next step, their families would get along just fine. Joe could already see Martine and his sister Aisha becoming thick as thieves. 

It was yet another wedding that brought Joe back to the place it all started. Nicky’s sister Eleonora was getting married the next day, at a beautiful Catholic church that overlooked the river. The colors of the changing leaves in mid-October would only add to the picturesque feel of it. 

The family decided to have one last hurrah before the big day, at the local bar that all the diGenovas seemed to love. Though it was clearly an Irish pub, and there was a nice Italian restaurant down the street. Joe thought it to be good, but Nicky had scoffed at it when he had suggested it one time. 

“If you want true authentic Italian food, just ask me to make it,” Nicky had said. “That place made mama spit out her food, it was so bad. Plus, the  _ Guilianis _ own it.”

Nicky had said the name like it was a curse. Joe did not argue or question his love about it. Though it did make Joe question whether he had any taste for good food anymore. And what kind of weird Italian local politics were at play there. 

Joe was seated at the bar, happily talking to his new best friend Maria. The bar was packed as it usually was on a Friday night, and the local band of the week was playing their set in the background. It was just filled with a bunch of Italians, plus the locals who had joined in on the party with no problem. Booker had brought his wife, Lori with him, and he was doing some magic tricks for patrons. Lori was laughing at him, rolling her eyes periodically while taking sips of her martini. Andy and Quýnh were playing pool and sweeping the floor of poor suckers money. He and Nicky had come together, but Nicky had disappeared into the throng of bodies a while back and still hadn’t emerged. Though Joe didn’t worry, as he was probably roped into something by a family member into another round of reintroductions. Maria had moved down the bar and was now gossiping with Lori. 

“Joe!” 

Joe turned around at the sound of the voice calling his name. A familiar head of strawberry blonde hair pushed her way up next to him where he was sitting. Nicky’s second sister, Gabriella leaned her elbows on the table. 

“Ugh,” she complained, letting her tongue roll out dramatically. “There are so many people in here! I’m so hot, I’m gonna sweat off my makeup, I swear. I sweat enough as it is!” 

Joe chuckled. Gabriella was definitely the most dramatic of the diGenova siblings. She never did anything that wasn’t animated. She talked with her hands in grand gestures, and her blue eyes, the color of a clear sky were always the first to express her true emotions. Joe figured that her job as an elementary school teacher was a match made in heaven. She was also sharp as a whip and wasn’t afraid to express her thoughts to you. If she had something to say, she was going to say it. And she would say it loud for all to hear. She was the anti-Nicky in all senses. 

“Well these cold drinks come in handy then, don’t they?” Joe joked. 

She sighed nodding her head. “Sì. I need to get one. But first, where is your lovely boyfriend?” 

Joe looked around the bar again to see if he could pick out a familiar body but came up with nothing. He shrugged his shoulders and took a sip from his drink. 

“I have no idea. He left a while ago to go somewhere and I haven’t seen him since.” 

Gabriella gasped and held a hand over her heart. “Nico left you all alone here? My god!”

Joe smiled around the straw he was using. “What did you need him for?” 

“I need him to settle a dispute between Martine and me. He’s Mister Ph.D. now, so he’ll know best.” 

“He doesn’t have it just yet. He still needs to give oral arguments to defend his dissertation,” Joe said. 

Gabriella scoffed and waved her hand. “Please, it’s all formality and shit. He practically has it already.” 

“Well then it should be Doctor Ph.D. to you then,” Joe jested with her laughing. 

“That’s just redundant, Joe al-Kaysani. Even my fifth graders know that.” 

Joe slapped a hand over his heart and doubled over as if he got stabbed. “Ouch, Gabby, that hurt. You know I also will have my own Ph.D. soon too? We give our arguments a day apart from one another.” 

Gabriella leaned over and put her hand over his, gently squeezing it. She winked at him and had that flirty look she always gave him. It had become a bit of a joke between the two of them at that point. 

“I know, I know. I was just teasing,” she reassured. Then she pouted, turning around to look at the bar. “I swear, Nico is always away when I need him the most.” 

Joe knew for a fact that that was not true, and that Gabriella was just exaggerating. Nicky would do almost anything for his siblings. There had been times when Nicky had abandoned whatever he was doing at the drop of a hat when one of them called him for whatever reason. Even one not so memorable occasion when he and Nicky had just started to heat up, and Nicky left to console Martine who had just been rejected from her top law school. Nicky of course apologized profusely at the moment, and Joe quickly got over it. He would’ve done the same if Aisha or Maryam or Musa called him for comfort. 

Gabriella turned back and smiled. “Well, I’ll just have to find Matteo or Romeo or even Nora to settle this argument. Aw well. Love you!” 

Before Joe could even respond, Gabriella jumped up from her seat and ran back through the throng of people to a corner booth where Martine was waiting with her head held in her hand. He could see the two sisters start talking, and Martine rolling her eyes and throwing her hands in the air, as they turned to try and locate another diGenova sibling to rope into their argument. He watched as Gabriella shouted Matteo's name from across the bar, and Matteo's eyes widen as he tried to look for an escape to no avail.

Joe felt a presence behind him a few minutes later. Without even turning around he could tell it was Nicky. The soft cologne he always wore wafted to his senses, causing Joe to smile and turn his head. Nicky had a small smile, the one that Joe first fell in love with. 

“There you are,” Joe whispered. Nicky leaned in for a kiss, which Joe happily met halfway for. 

When they released, Joe asked, “where did you disappear to?” 

Nicky raised his eyebrows, his sea glass green eyes looking towards the door to the bar. He shrugged his shoulders. “Out for some air.” 

Joe could also smell the faint lingering of cigarettes. Though Nicky tried to deny it, he had picked up the bad habit again during the stress of post-graduate school. But he at least did not smoke in the car or in the apartment. 

“Mhmm, among other things as well,” Joe observed. He always teased Nicky about the habit, especially after the first time he got caught doing it outside of Joe’s apartment for their second date. 

Nicky huffed and rolled his eyes. “My cousin Lorenzo roped me into a conversation. I couldn’t say no!” 

“But I also got you some of these,” he said, moving around from behind to face Joe. He took his arm from behind his back, displaying a bouquet of at least a dozen deep red roses. 

Joe looked at the bouquet in shock. His thoughts seemed to have frozen at the spot. 

“What? Why did you get these?” Joe managed to stutter out. He was rarely left speechless. 

Nicky pressed the flowers toward him, making Joe scramble enough brainpower to reach out and take them. Nicky still had that small smile on his face, and he could see that his cheeks were starting to color as well. The scent of the roses was almost overwhelming. The stems were still wet, and the petals soft to the touch. They were extremely fresh. 

“I know we have only been dating for eight months, but Joe, I love you with all my heart,” Nicky said after a deep breath. 

Joe felt his own catch in his throat. His eyes widened at the words. “Nicky,” he breathed out. 

“And I would want to spend the rest of my life with no one else but you. Meeting you felt like destiny,” he continued, gaining momentum and confidence. 

Joe felt his heart hammering in his chest. He felt dizzy as he processed the words that came out of Nicky’s mouth. He had an idea of where this was going, and Joe looked around the bar to see if anyone else was listening in. He leaned forward. 

“Nicolò,” he warned. “What are you doing?” 

He practically hissed the words. Thankfully the bar was so crowded that no one was really paying attention. 

“Joe, please, let me continue,” Nicky said, waving his hand. 

Joe put the flowers on the table and pulled Nicky in close. “Nicky, do not say another word right now.” 

Nicky’s face scrunched up in confusion. “What, why not?” 

“Because if you are about to do what I think you’re about to do, then don’t do it.” 

The love of his life pulled his arm out of Joe’s loose grip. Indignation graced his features. “Why not? _Yusuf_ , I love you.” 

“And I love you too, hayati. But now is not the time!”

Nicky cursed. “ _ Porca miseria _ ! I was trying to be romantic, and I just want you to marry me!” he exclaimed. 

It was just loud enough for some people in the immediate vicinity to turn around with questioning looks. Joe just gave his best charming smile waving to the people and trying to act as if nothing as monumental as a proposal was happening. Nicky was still simmering in his frustration, his hands on his hips. 

“Can you repeat that, Nicky?” Joe asked. 

Nicky sighed. “I said I want you to marry me.” A moment later his words caught up with him and he blinked slowly like an owl. Joe smirked. 

“Well, I know you like to call me the incurable romantic, so I’m a bit surprised you beat me to the punch. Though I should’ve expected better.” 

Nicky ran a hand through his hair pulling at the roots. He was muttering to himself in Italian. “I just saw a man selling roses out on the street, and we were in the place we first met, and I had a sudden urge overcome me and I wasn’t really thinking,” he sighed. 

Joe reached out to Nicky and pulled him close for a hug. Nicky buried his head into the crook of Joe’s neck, and he was overwhelmed with the love he felt for this man. He chuckled to himself. This extremely intelligent, kind, thoughtful man, who loved his family, and always put others before himself. But who also had did not know how to read social cues for the life of him. The man who was brave enough to approach Joe that day in that very bar, but who said he had been stalking him. The man who brought his work to a first date, and marked himself down with a plus one in hopes for a second date to meet his entire family, and signed them up for a disastrous third date. The man that Joe decided to take a chance on, and fell helplessly head over heels in love with over the course of the past eight months. 

“The bouquet of fresh roses were a beautiful touch,” Joe muttered into Nicky’s hair. The silky strands that always smelled of lavender and soothed Joe to sleep every night they shared a bed together. 

They let go and Joe looked into Nicky’s mesmerizing eyes. “But perhaps, do you not propose to me the night before your sister gets married, hmm?” 

Nicky groaned and put his head in his hands. “I’m such an idiot,” he bemoaned. “Nora is going to kill me.” 

Joe combed through Nicky’s hair in a soothing matter. “No one has to know yet. Think of it as a second chance to get it right next time. We can just excuse the roses as an especially romantic overture by you tonight.” 

They shared a laugh together. “You were always the more romantic of the two of us,” Nicky said, shaking his head. 

“I say the words of romance, but you show me the acts of it, my love.” 

They shared another kiss, deeper that time. “And for the record, the answer will always be yes,” Joe whispered as they parted. 

The smile didn’t leave Nicky’s face the rest of the night as they rejoined the festivities. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! Threw in some more diGenova sibling shenanigans. And yeah here we go, yet another true story based on my parents. My dad proposed to my mom in the bar they first met in, the night before his sister got married. Because he's an idiot and a deeply romantic man at heart and didn't think things through. So it goes I guess. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter is the wedding, and I have some more craziness ready to go for there too. 
> 
> Drop some comments and kudos below! :)


	5. Beautiful Disasters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wedding time! :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter! and it's wedding time! Enjoy :) 
> 
> (Not edited or beta'd) 
> 
> *Also changed the title name so fret not

Nothing said “I’m getting married today!”, then starting it off in a Friendly’s. That is how the wedding day of Joe marrying Nicky began. And it was all because of Joe’s older sister Aisha. 

Aisha who was three months pregnant with her second child, and was having wildly specific cravings to go with it. The night before, she had taken Joe to the side and put her hands on his shoulders, her nails just starting to dig in. 

“Tomorrow, for breakfast we are going to Friendly’s because I am craving their french toast. Okay?” she had said to him. It left no room for any arguments. 

Joe was known for pushing the buttons of his siblings. Always had been. He had been the youngest child for the first eleven years of his life, it had been his duty to annoy his older sisters to their wit's end. But he knew better than to mess with a pregnant woman in any capacity. Aisha had smiled at him, but it had been a shark’s smile and she had squeezed his shoulders just a little too tightly as she said it. Joe had gently pried her fingers off of him and nodded. 

“Of course,” he said. No arguments with pregnant women. What she craved was what she would get. 

Joe, therefore, sat in a small booth in a Friendly’s, with both his sisters and of course Andy and Booker. His eldest sister, Miryam was silently judging everything about the place, while sipping a coffee. She was always the quietest of all the al-Kaysani siblings, which was why her and Nicky hit it off the first time they had met. Quiet and old souls gravitating toward each other. Aisha was devouring her french toast like it was the end of the world coming, but Joe could see that she was extremely pleased. Andy and Booker both had sunglasses over their eyes even indoors because they were both nursing hangovers from the party they had thrown the night before at Saints. Booker was leaning down in the booth seat like he was trying to melt to it. Whenever Joe tried to talk to him all he got were some mutters and groans back, causing Joe to roll his eyes. Joe kicked Booker under the seat, causing the man to sit up and curse in French. 

“What was that for?” he complained. 

“You better have it together later today,” Joe warned. 

Booker scoffed and ran a hand through his blonde hair that needed to be washed. “I will, I will. Jeez, have you no faith in your best friend?” 

“Sometimes, I question, Booker,” Joe replied, shrugging his shoulders and taking a sip of his own coffee.

Miryam was looking on with a twinkle in her brown eyes and a small smirk that reminded Joe of Nicky. He missed his husband to be, though they had only separated for the time being to be with their respective families before they came together. 

Andy was also telling everyone that passed by their booth that Joe was getting married that day. She found the whole situation hilarious, being in a Friendly’s the day of the biggest day of his life. Joe tried to wave off the unwanted attention of strangers now knowing that piece of information, but gave polite nods and thank yous to the people who congratulated him as they walked by. 

“Are you happy now Aisha?” Miryam asked. 

Aisha had thrown the knife and fork onto the empty plate followed by her napkin. She leaned back in the booth and put her hands over her just showing stomach. Joe chuckled at her perfectly blissful face. 

“Yes,” she sighed. “I can now live the rest of my life happy and content.” 

“Well at least someone enjoyed the breakfast,” Joe commented. 

Joe himself had no problem with Friendly’s. He usually just ended up there at the end of a long night out with Nicky where they would stumble in and share some desserts together. He didn’t usually go for breakfasts. But again, logic dictates that you do not argue with a pregnant woman with cravings; especially if the said woman was your older sister who could definitely kick your ass wedding day or not. 

They all walked back to his and Nicky’s apartment where Joe was to get ready. Nicky’s sisters had kidnapped their brother to spirit him away to one of their places to get ready himself. It was odd being alone in their shared apartment. But he was comforted by all the small things that screamed out loud to Joe that he lived there too. And that they were happy. The current book that Nicky was reading was laying on the small coffee table, face down but spine cracking. Their degrees they finally got after over a year of stressing about it hung proudly in their living space for all to see. Photos of them with their friends and family lined the walls. The candles that Nicky insisted on buying filled the windowsills, and giving the faint scent of an ocean breeze. A familiar scent to both of their homes. The pots and pans that Nicky had bought were sitting on the counter in the kitchen air drying out from the marvelous lunch he had made the two of them the day before. Even when Nicky wasn’t physically present, Joe could feel him. And that brought a sense of warmth that filled him all the way down to his bones. 

His own sisters then corralled him to another room in the apartment and got him ready for his big day. Booker and Andy got dressed in their formalwear as well, and were more than happy to provide unwanted commentary and jibes the entire time as they broke open some champagne and orange juice to make some mimosas, even though they had just acted like they were dying in the restaurant not even forty minutes before. Though Joe was happy to see that his sisters did not spare his closest friends from their swift hands to do their own hair and makeup. 

“No one is going to look bad on my watch on my brother’s big day!” Aisha had exclaimed over the protests from the two of them. “You’ll barely feel it on your face, suck it up!” 

Joe was thankful for his sister. She knew how to tow the fine line of being gentle and coercive. Miryam had taken over for the hair, pulling out a variety of Joe’s hair products he kept in the bathroom to style his hair perfectly. She had also trimmed his beard to look just a little neater and more presentable. Aisha had taken over the makeup portion. She kept it simple and subtle, but Joe never minded. He was not above wearing it to make himself look the best he could on his big day. 

In the middle of having his eyes closed for Aisha, he heard a knock on the door. He opened an eye to look at his sister. 

“That must be the others,” she said. “Hold tight.” 

The door opened and immediately the nice quiet that had been formulating for the past twenty minutes burst, as a wave of voices filled the space. Joe raised his eyebrows and looked over at Miryam who was looking at her nails. 

“Did you invite everyone?” Joe asked, tilting his head. 

Miryam sighed. “Once you invite one you invite them all.” 

The first person to come through the door was his mother, Aaminah. She looked glamorous as usual, and her jasmine scent filled the room. She gasped as she saw Joe and all but ran over to him and engulfed him in a tight hug. 

“Oh habibi, you look beautiful!” she cooed. 

Miryam squawked. “Mama! Watch the hair, I just worked so hard on it! Do not mess it up!” 

His mother waved his sister off. “Miryam relax. I am allowed to hug and coo over my eldest son as I wish.” 

Miryam huffed in annoyance but did not argue back. Behind his mother, he could see the rest of his aunties that had come with her. A welcoming party. He looked at his mother with his eyebrows raised. 

“Was this necessary? We all saw each other last night,” Joe asked his mother. 

Before Joe and his friends had migrated to Saints for another much more informal celebration, he had his entire family in the apartment for a more formal one. Cousins and aunts and uncles he had not seen in years showed up, and they had all had a little mehndi party together. The beautiful designs on his hands and palms that one of his aunts did were temporarily stained on him. He had a good time catching up with his family that he hadn’t seen. And he would see them again later at the actual wedding, so he did not see why he would need them all in his apartment again. It wasn’t that big, to begin with. 

“Oh you know how it is,” she waved off. “We just want to make sure everything is perfect!” 

Joe knew better than to argue with his mother, so he let it be. He got into his wedding ceremony outfit. A traditional Tunisian jebba as a way to honor his family. Him and Nicky had already done the official part of the wedding, having gone down to sign the marriage certificate at city hall. They had each taken one of their siblings as witnesses. The actual wedding taking place was much more for fun for the friends and family. Having an interfaith marriage to a person of the same sex required some creative thinking and shucking of certain ceremonies and traditions of their respective religions. Joe was just thankful that both their families were open to it and not staunch traditionalists. 

Through the organized chaos in his apartment, he heard the phone ring. He made his way to the landline and picked it up. 

“Hello?” 

“Mister al-Kaysani?” a voice asked. 

“This is he.” 

“Hi, this is Mike from the limo company. The limousines you have rented for today have been taken out of commission.” 

Joe felt his heart spike. “Excuse me? What do you mean, taken out of commission?” 

“Exactly that. They have failed inspection and can’t be used.” 

Joe put a hand on his hip and leaned against the wall. “Well, that’s going to be a problem because I need them today. As in a few hours from now.” 

“Well, I’m sorry.” 

Joe shook his head wagging his finger as if the man on the other end could see it. “No, no. You’re going to tell me what you’re going to do to fix this. You can’t just tell me a few hours before I need these limos that I can’t have them. In case it’s not clear, I am getting married this afternoon to the love of my life. And I don’t want anything to ruin it. So tell me, how are you going to get me to the place I need to be?”

The man was silent on the other end for a moment. “I can send another one down to you?” 

“Yes, I think that would be best. And I’ll have to demand some money back from our rental price. I’ll have my husband call you to negotiate that at a later date.” 

Joe was thankful that Nicky’s notorious frugalness had rubbed off on him in the right moments. Nicky was pretty laid back in most things except when it came to money. He never paid anything full price and thought he could haggle a price down on anything; even in stores with fixed prices. Joe found it embarrassing most times, but now was grateful for it. 

“Um, sure. It will be at your location at the set time. Again, sorry for the inconvenience,” the man said before hastily hanging up. 

Joe cursed, throwing his hand up in the air before hanging up the phone. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wouldn’t let that one thing ruin his day. As the time to leave drew closer, his family filtered out in small groups with farewells. Joe fixed his hair and outfit quickly in the mirror before taking a deep breath. 

His small party left the apartment and went to the street to wait for the limo to come. They saw one crest on the road as it pulled up. Andy had her eyebrows raised and Booker had lifted his sunglasses up. 

“Is that it?” Andy asked. 

“Merde,” Booker cursed.

“Shit is right,” Joe agreed. 

The limo had definitely seen better days, and it was much smaller than the one he had originally wanted. And it was also a disgusting and garish maroon color. The limo pulled up on the curb in front of all of them, and the window rolled down. 

“You the wedding party?” the driver asked. 

Joe walked up. “Yeah.” 

The driver nodded. “Get in.” 

Booker opened up the door and gestured for ladies to go in first. Miryam and Aisha shared a look between the two of them before they went in first, followed by Andy and then Booker and Joe. The limo smelled horrible, and like stale cigarette smoke. It was tiny and cramped, with them all practically on top of each other. Booker patted Joe on the knee. 

“Well it can only get better from here right?” he asked with a laugh. 

“I hope so.” 

They couldn’t get out of the limo fast enough. They had decided to do a nice intimate ceremony right on the river. It was a mild October day, and the leaves were in full swing of changing, creating a beautiful canopy of reds, oranges, and yellows as the background. People from both families were already mingling with one another, and taking their seats. He found Nicky’s siblings dispersed throughout the crowd. Each in a beautiful shade of dark blue tailored to their styles. 

He ran into their wedding planner, Charlize, who was truly a lifesaver. She had everything planned down almost to the minute, and had worked around the chaos of their lives and different families and cultures, and had done a marvelous job. 

“Okay, you ready?” she asked. “I’ve been corralling guests to their seats for twenty minutes now and we’re just about good to go.” 

“Yeah, I’m ready.” 

She smiled. “Good, now get up there.” 

Joe made his way to the makeshift altar, where their mutual friend Lykon was marrying them, because of course. The music began, and the wedding parties came down together smiling for the cameras and video camera that was taping it all for them. Joe’s nieces, Sana and Leila threw some cute flower pedals and worked the crowd to their advantage. Joe chuckled seeing Sana wave at all the guests like she was the star of the show while Leila skipped after her. And then Nicky came looking like he stepped out of a fashion magazine. His hair which normally stuck up in disarray was gently styled out of his face, showcasing his beautiful eyes. He was clean shaven, showing off his wonderful birthmark on the right side of his face, and his smile was illuminating. He walked up next to Joe and immediately grabbed his hands in his. The warmth of his palms was grounding. 

Lykon began the ceremony. It was going great until Joe felt a tightness in his chest. His eyes widened and he quickly turned to his shoulder to hide the cough that had come from him. And he continued to do so. Nicky just raised his eyebrows to see if he was alright, but Joe nodded and gave a reassuring smile. They had decided to also light a unity candle together. Joe lit his with ease and gently put the flame to the wick of the large candle. He watched as Nicky tried and failed to light a match. He lit it finally and the wick ignited, but when he went to blow out the match he blew out the candle too. Joe stifled a laugh behind his palm. It was then that one of Nicky’s uncles, Lorenzo Joe thought, came up with a lighter and lit the candle before scurrying back to his seat. Nicky smiled sheepishly, a blush forming on his face before he lit his portion of the candle as well. 

“Good job,” Joe teased in a hushed whisper. 

“Hush up,” Nicky replied, rolling his eyes. 

The ceremony went smoothly after that. When Joe finally was able to kiss Nicky in front of all of their friends and family, it lit him up inside. Sparks flew between the two of them as their lips touched, and formally cemented their love for all to see. Cheers went up from both sides as they walked down the aisle together with their hands up in the air. 

Soon after, they got dragged to do some wedding photos together. The photographer was great, and there it was picturesque with their backs to the river and all the autumn trees. Joe and Nicky took a lot together, and then they had their wedding parties and families join in others. It didn’t take too long which Joe was happy about. It was time to get to the party. 

As they walked down the block to their wedding reception hall, Joe noticed his youngest brother, Musa. The boy was sixteen, and still lanky and in the odd in between periods of puberty. Musa who was in traditional garb as well had tied a cloth on top of his head, and to Joe’s horror and amusement watched as he got down on all fours and started to climb the stairs like that. 

“Is Musa okay?” Nicky wondered, his arm linked with his. 

“My mother is going to kill him later,” Joe muttered. “That boy is definitely three sheets to the wind.” 

“Where did he even get the alcohol from?” 

The two of them then looked at each other. “Booker,” they said in unison. 

“Or perhaps one of his sons. I bet it was Aiman. They did seem to hit it off,” Nicky observed. 

Aiman was Booker’s second son, and pretty close in age to Musa. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for his son to have stolen some booze from his father and shared it with a friend. 

“Hmm,” Joe said. “Well, we’ll see how the night goes from here.” 

The reception was going great. Guests were coming up periodically to congratulate them and make some small talk as the cocktail hour happened. Joe was happy to be next to Nicky, holding his hand and kissing it when he pleased. The food for dinner was also great, and an odd combination of Italian and Tunisian and Dutch cuisine. They shared a slow first dance, and Nicky showcased his fluidity. Joe had been shocked the first time he learned that Nicky could sing and dance so well. It was a beautiful intimate moment that Joe would always cherish. 

And then the party really began. People flooded the dance floor as the live band they hired began to play more upbeat songs. The energy was palpable and Joe relished in being able to showcase his own fun dance moves as Nicky cheered him on. At one point he saw Musa, who still had his homemade do-rag on his head, and had definitely consumed some more alcohol, took his mother and started to swing her around fast and loose until they both stumbled to the floor. Gasps echoed in shock at the scene. Joe went to go help his mother and see if she was alright, but she merely got up, dusted off her dress, and smiled.

“Keep dancing!” she exclaimed. 

Cheers erupted as the dancing then continued on. At one point, one of Joe’s cousins, had started to breakdance and accidentally split his chin open, and was quickly escorted out to get some stitches. He had come back twenty minutes later like nothing had happened, and was happily showing it to anyone who wanted to look. 

Nicky had steadily been drinking wine from the open bar they had and was truly showcasing his performing talents for all to see. He had gotten on stage with the band, and taken over singing some Italian song, his gravelly and rich voice filling the air. Joe was completely enamored and in love with that man. 

“Nico! Nico! Nico!” the guests chanted when he finished with a dramatic bow. 

For a man who was so quiet and reserved, it was amazing what alcohol could do to him. 

“It’s not fair that he gets the best singing voice of all of us!” Gabriella had cried out with a glass of red wine in her hand. “He never uses it!” 

“Nico, how do you give that talent of yours away to someone who deserves it?” Nora asked, her arm wrapped around Gabriella’s shoulders. 

Nicky started to argue with the two of them in Italian that Joe couldn’t understand. He walked away from the dance floor to get some clean air and rest. He slumped in his chair and happily drank the ice water that had been placed in front of him. He was happy to watch people. Martine, Nicky’s youngest and most quiet sister was out leading a dance with everyone and smiling as large as he’d ever seen it. His own parents were happily dancing close to each other, doing ridiculous dance moves to make each other laugh. Joe was happy to see everyone enjoying themselves so much. 

The band began to play another high energy song that was popular on the radio. People all lost their minds on the dance floor, and some crazy dance moves started to emerge. Joe stood and entered back in the fray. Everyone was singing along and jumping, and bumping into each other. As the song crescendoed it got more electrifying until people were body slamming into each other. And like dominoes, someone stumbled into each other, until it was Aisha who was thrown off balance and fell right into the wedding cake they had just rolled out. 

The music halted suddenly as everyone watched the scene unfold. Aisha pushed herself off the cake, with her husband Rani ran up to her to help her up. She was covered in the white frosting, and Joe left to go after her. 

“Aisha!” he called out. “Are you alright?” 

She was wiping cake and frosting from her face with a napkin, and then wiped a piece with her finger and stuck in her mouth. Then she gave a big smile and swiped some on him too. 

“Well, at least you chose a good flavor for the cake!” 

Joe stood in disbelief for a moment before he started to chuckle. Aisha then joined in and they laughed until their stomachs hurt. Joe wiped a tear from his eye. 

“You just fell into my wedding cake in front of everyone and that is what you have to say?” 

“If it was anyone at least it was me. And it’ll make for a memorable wedding!” 

Aisha always had the best sense of humor of all of them. She took things in stride and was always the optimist. Joe had looked up to her dearly growing up, and always admired her spirit. Even in the darkest of days he could turn to Aisha and see the light emanating from her and he knew he would be okay. 

As they continued to laugh, he saw Matteo and Romeo, Nicky’s brothers run by. 

“Where are you two running to?” he asked. 

They turned together, Matteo had a serious look on his face as if he were on a mission. “We’re running down the street to the corner store to get some desserts,” Romeo said. Joe never could get over how he wore a nearly identical face to Nicky. 

“Thankfully it has a small bakery that makes good pastries, and the owner owes me a favor so we’ll get it discounted,” Matteo added. 

Genovese, Joe thought. Always comes down to the money with them. He smiled and put his hands on each of their shoulders. 

“Thank you.” 

They both gave him matching smiles. “Anything for family.” Then they turned away and continued their sprint to replace the cake. 

He turned back to Aisha who pushed him toward the dance floor. “Don’t worry about me! I’ll be fine. Go find your husband and enjoy your night.” 

Joe planted a kiss on his sister’s cheek before leaving her to clean herself up. He found Nicky dancing with Nora and twirling her around and laughing. 

“May I steal him for a moment?” Joe interjected. 

Nora scoffed. “You’ll have all the time in the world with him! But fine I shall allow it.” 

Joe offered his hand to his husband who happily took it. His cheeks were flushed from exertion and some alcohol. Joe pulled him in close and they started to slow dance together as if they were in their own world. 

“Is Aisha all right?” Nicky asked in the crook of his neck. 

“She will be fine. Your brothers are running out to replace the cake.” 

Nicky let out a breathless chuckle. “Of course they are. They will use any excuse to not eat cake, when they can have cannolis instead.” 

“Maybe we should’ve gotten cannoli cake instead,” Joe joked. 

Nicky made a disgusted noise. “Not everything's about them.” 

“I know hayati. It’s obviously all about you and only you.” 

Nicky lifted his head from where it had been rested. His blue-green eyes piercing even in the dim light. “You truly are a comedian.” 

Joe shrugged and put on a pensive face. “Maybe instead of taking that professorship job, I should just become a stand-up artist.” 

“No, no. If anything you become an artist. Also, we did not almost kill ourselves to get our Ph.Ds for nothing.” 

Joe leaned in and kissed Nicky. It was soft and sweet. “I know,” he whispered. “I only kid. We have forever to figure it out together.” 

Nicky hummed. He gave one of his brilliant smiles. “That we do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes this little saga. I obviously took some creative liberties with the setting, so take that with a grain of salt. Again, this is based on actual things that did happen on my parents' wedding day lmao. My aunt really did fall into the wedding cake and yes it is on video. Aw well. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Drop some kudos and comments below :)

**Author's Note:**

> Fun tidbit, the pub is named after the same one my own parents met in (and yes there really was a hole cut in the wall for makeshift Chinese takeout). Also, I got the inspiration for these little stories based on my own parents and their relationship early on lmao. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this! Drop some comments and kudos below :)


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